WEBVTT KYLIE MACKIE, CASTLETON UNIVERSITY ALPINE SKI TEAM "I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE THERE BECAUSE I'VE KNOWN VICTOR MY WHOLE LIFE HE'S LIKE MY BROTHER." TRACK A WEEKEND OF FRIENDLY COMPLETION ON THE SLOPES - TURNED ON IT'S HEAD IN AN INSTANT AS TWO MEMBERS OF CASTLETON UNIVERSITY'S ALPINE RACE TEAM WATCHED THEIR FRIEND FROM BABSON COLLEGE MAKE HIS FIRST RUN. BUTTED SOTS :15 LINN LJUNGEMO, "UNFORTUNATELY , HE DOESN'T PASS US BUT MORE LIKE CRASHES RIGHT INTO US." KYLIE MACKIE, CASTLETON UNIVERSITY ALPINE SKI TEAM "I JUST HEARD SCREAMING, I HEARD MY DAD SCREAMING. THEN, I HEAR 'TOURNIQUET ' AND I KNEW WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING." TRACK FRESHMAN VICTOR WIACEK HAD FALLEN ONTO HIS OWN SKI, BADLY CUTTING HIS LEFT LEG. WHEN KYLIE MACKIE AND LINN LJUNGEMO SAW THE BLOOD IN THE SNOW, THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO ACT FAST. BUTTED SOTS :14 LINN LJUNGEMO "ME AND KYLIE STARTED SPRINGTING TOWARDS VICTOR AND JUST START STRIPPING OFF WHATEVER WE HAVE ON THINKING THAT WHATEVER WE HAVE WE'RE GOING TO USE IT ON HIM." KYLIE MACKIE, CASTLETON UNIVERSITY ALPINE SKI "I REALIZED I HAD A WIND BREAKER ON SO I TIED IT AROUND HIS LEG AS TIGHT AS I COULD. TRACK THE TEAMMATES ARE EACH FIRST-AID CERTIFIED THROUGH THE RED CROSS. AND THEIR MAKE SHIFT TOURNIQUETS HELPED STOPPED THE BLEEDING LONG ENOUGH FOR WIACEK TO BE BROUGHT TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL WHERE HE NEEDED SURGERY, TRANSFUSIONS, AND DOZENS OF STITCHES SOT :11 KYLIE MACKIE, CASTLETON UNIVERSITY ALPINE SKI "I KEPT FEELING TEARS COMING AND MY CONTROL OF MY EMOTIONS GETTING AWAY FROM ME BUT THEN I'D LOOK AT LYNN AND BE LIKE, I CAN'T CRY RIGHT NOW I HAVE TO KEEP IT TOGETHER FOR VICTOR." TRACK MACKIE AND WIACEK GREW UP LEARNING TO RACE TOGETHER AND SAYS THE CRASH HAS ONLY BROUGHT THEM CLOSER. SOT :02 KYLIE MACKIE, CASTLETON UNIVERSITY ALPINE SKI "WE JUST GO ON AN ON ABOUT HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR EACH OTHER," TRACK AND WIACEK SAYS HE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO THANK HIS FRIENDS ENOUGH. SOT :12 VICTOR WIACEK "WORDS WILL NEVER EVER BE SUFFICIENT. I THINK, I DON'T THINK I EVEN CAN SAY ANYTHING I JUST HAVE SO SO MUCH GRATITUDE." TRACK BUT THE DAY WASN'T OVER FOR THE CASTLETON RACERS. AFTER CHECKING ON WIACEK, THEY EACH COMPLETED THEIR NEXT RUN, WITH LJUNGEMO TAKING FIRST PLACE. BUTTED SOTS :10 LINN LJUNGEMO "WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF WE WANTED TO CONTINUE RACING THAT DAY BUT BECAUSE WE TOLD HIM TO WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO DO IT FOR HIM." KYLIE MACKIE, CASTLETON UNIVERSITY ALPINE SKI "I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT MY RESULTS ALL I CARED ABOUT IS THAT HE'S OKAY." TRACK WIACEK IS RECOVERING AND HOPES TO GET BACK ON THE SKIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOW, MACKIE AND LJUNGEMO EACH HAVE THEIR EYES SET ON QUALIFYING FOR NATIONALS. IN CASTLETON, ROSS KETSCHKE NBC 5 NEWS.

Two members of Castleton University women's alpine ski team are being recognized for their heroics on the slope earlier this month. Senior Linn Ljungemo and junior Kylie Mackie were each competing in races on Feb. 3. After their first runs, they walked to the side of the course to gate keep and watch their friend, Babson College freshman Victor Wiacek, compete in the giant slalom. Just before passing he gate the Castleton teammates were watching from, Wiacek crashed and fell onto his own ski, badly cutting his leg. "I just heard screaming. I heard my dad screaming. Then I hear, 'Tourniquet!'" Mackie said. The two quickly jumped into action, implementing first aid training they had received at school less than a year earlier."Me and Kylie start springting towards Victor and just start stripping off whatever we have, just thinking: Whatever we have, we're going to use on him," Ljungemo said. Mackie tied her windbreaker around Wiacek's leg to stop some of the bleeding. Ljungemo did the same with a belt. Wiacek and Mackie had grown up learning to race together, and had both been coached by Mackie's father for several years. "I kept feeling tears coming and my control of my emotions getting away from," she said. "But then, I'd look at Linn and my dad and be, like, 'I can't cry right now. I have to keep it together for Victor.'" Wiacek was taken to a nearby hospital, where he needed surgery, multiple units of blood and dozens of stitches. He said he was at a loss for words to express how grateful he is for the decisive action of his friends. "I'm just grateful that we were there," Mackie said. "I've known Victor pretty much my entire life. He's like my brother."Wiacek said he is doing much better a few weeks after the crash, and hopes to get back onto his skis as soon as possible. He said he is interesting in developing cut-proof material to protect racers from similar injuries in the future. Mackie and Ljungemo said Wiacek implored them each to finish their last run of the day once he was taken to the hospital. The teammates returned to the race, and Ljungemo logged the fastest time in her division.

CASTLETON, Vt. —

Two members of Castleton University women's alpine ski team are being recognized for their heroics on the slope earlier this month.

Senior Linn Ljungemo and junior Kylie Mackie were each competing in races on Feb. 3.

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After their first runs, they walked to the side of the course to gate keep and watch their friend, Babson College freshman Victor Wiacek, compete in the giant slalom.

Just before passing he gate the Castleton teammates were watching from, Wiacek crashed and fell onto his own ski, badly cutting his leg.

The two quickly jumped into action, implementing first aid training they had received at school less than a year earlier.

"Me and Kylie start springting towards Victor and just start stripping off whatever we have, just thinking: Whatever we have, we're going to use on him," Ljungemo said.

Mackie tied her windbreaker around Wiacek's leg to stop some of the bleeding. Ljungemo did the same with a belt.

Wiacek and Mackie had grown up learning to race together, and had both been coached by Mackie's father for several years.

"I kept feeling tears coming and my control of my emotions getting away from," she said. "But then, I'd look at Linn and my dad and be, like, 'I can't cry right now. I have to keep it together for Victor.'"

Wiacek was taken to a nearby hospital, where he needed surgery, multiple units of blood and dozens of stitches.

He said he was at a loss for words to express how grateful he is for the decisive action of his friends.

"I'm just grateful that we were there," Mackie said. "I've known Victor pretty much my entire life. He's like my brother."

Wiacek said he is doing much better a few weeks after the crash, and hopes to get back onto his skis as soon as possible.

He said he is interesting in developing cut-proof material to protect racers from similar injuries in the future.

Mackie and Ljungemo said Wiacek implored them each to finish their last run of the day once he was taken to the hospital.

The teammates returned to the race, and Ljungemo logged the fastest time in her division.